Tokyo Racecourse.
Queen Berry had fallen to last place, her movement barely a run—more like a trudging walk.
Though her body felt no pain, her spirit seemed sharply jolted, leaving her dazed and disoriented.
Yet, no one was paying her any attention.
Every spectator, commentator, and announcer had their eyes fixed on Barbatos.
Could it be? Was Barbatos, who had maintained an undefeated record until now, about to lose here?
"Barbatos, hang in there!"
"Barbatos, keep going—just finishing is a victory!"
Cheers rose from the stands. Even casual fans who simply adored the Uma Musume felt a pang of confusion at first, but now most suspected Barbatos was running injured.
Ever since that collision with Queen Berry, her speed had plummeted.
How could an Uma Musume like Queen Berry behave so disgracefully?
Even if her actions were within the rules, countless Barbatos fans couldn't help but feel heartache for their favorite.
Some even wished Barbatos would stop right there, withdraw from the race, and seek medical care—to avoid aggravating an injury, risking a long recovery, or worse, being unable to race again.
But in that moment, Barbatos heard none of the noise around her.
Every forced stride sent waves of soreness rushing through her, tempting her to just stop and rest.
Without her passive speed boosts, and without activating any skills, even pushing herself to the limit was no match for King Halo. She could only watch as King Halo widened the gap.
Gasping for air, the stacks on her [Dead Man's Plate] had reached 90.
King Halo had about 400 meters left. Even though she wasn't suited to front-running and had mismanaged her stamina, she had still pulled far ahead of the others.
She was a full 100 meters ahead of Barbatos!
A hundred meters—one-eighteenth of the entire race length—was an insurmountable chasm for Uma Musume of similar caliber.
But that only applied to those of similar caliber.
"I am… Barbatos, the 'Wind God'!"
Gritting her teeth against the burning fatigue, she took one final forceful step. The passives of [Dead Man's Plate] and [Youmuu's Ghostblade] maxed out once more, and she broke out of combat.
Maybe even giving her all wouldn't be enough to catch up now—but how would she know if she didn't try?
That guy, Tacit Accord, had not only run with a leg injury but had pushed through even when barely conscious, all the way to the finish line!
How could she be intimidated by a challenge like this?
Her steps suddenly felt several times lighter. Even though the soreness remained, she could win!!
[Ghost] and [Highlander] activated instantly.
The reason she hadn't used her skills earlier was that at lower base speed, the bonuses would be smaller. Now, out of combat, Barbatos's speed surged abruptly.
[Move Quick], a short-term burst skill, was activated.
The real world was different from League of Legends. There, when a skill's duration ended, your speed would drop instantly.
But here, in reality, momentum carried you forward. A speed boost didn't just vanish when the skill ended—it faded gradually.
Small skills were chained together intermittently, weaving into a seamless acceleration.
The onrushing wind split around Barbatos as she sprinted, leaving only a rushing sound in her wake.
A crimson aura spread from her body, dyeing the invisible air currents with a bloody heat. Her heavy footfalls left indelible marks on the ground. "Warrrgh!"
The thunder of her steps filled the track.
Ahead of Barbatos, beyond that boundless crimson aura, the other Uma Musume suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure.
A pressure that could crush the will to keep running.
It was as if what followed behind wasn't Barbatos, but a restless spirit returned from hell—a pressure like facing mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
Even those who stubbornly clung to their courage felt their strides instinctively slow.
A fierce wind-cutting sound roared in their ears; heavy, powerful footsteps drew terrifyingly close.
"Whoosh!"
Blades of grass on the track were swept upward, carried by the gust.
"Wh-when?!"
The Uma Musume who had been overtaken broke out in a cold sweat. Just moments ago, there had been a sizable gap between her and Barbatos. When had she closed in? When had she caught up and passed her?
Even giving it her all, even with Barbatos falling behind due to that incident…
Just a moment ago, she had wondered if she could actually beat Barbatos this time—maybe compete for second, or even first.
But…
Watching that receding figure speeding away at an unimaginable pace…
They weren't even on the same level.
Even with an accident, even with a head start, she was no match for Barbatos!
Even on a day like this, Barbatos was still in the same league as El Condor Pasa, Silence Suzuka—even the "Empress" and the "Monster."
It reminded her of a saying she'd heard somewhere, one that seemed fitting now:
"Just because I've grown weaker doesn't mean you've grown stronger."
Even with this mishap, it didn't mean she had what it took to defeat Barbatos…
"No way~~"
"Barbatos! Barbatos has overtaken second place and is closing in on first!"
"Only 150 meters left!"
"Barbatos is about ten lengths behind King Halo!"
"Barbatos! Go for it!"
In the announcer's booth, the race caller gripped the mic with one hand, unable to stop herself from cheering for Barbatos.
But no one questioned her professionalism. Spectators clenched their fists, some shouting, some silent—all fixated on these final moments.
"It's too late."
Maruzensky furrowed her brow slightly.
Even if Barbatos pushed through and activated her domain, even if King Halo—leading for the first time—was running out of steam in the final stretch…
The gap between them was real. It wasn't something Barbatos could close now!
With just 50 meters to the finish, King Halo gritted her teeth and held on.
Even hearing the footsteps closing in behind her, she refused to look back. A monarch's heart shielded her from the pressure at her back; the name "Holy King" fueled her determination to win, no matter how exhausted she was.
"Only 20 meters left! Go, Barbatos, go!!"
"She's closing! She's closing! Barbatos is gaining on King Halo!"
"Barbatos is charging hard!"
"The protagonist makes a dazzling entrance at the last moment!!!"
The race caller's voice never faltered. She had completely abandoned professional neutrality, throwing herself into the role of a Barbatos fan. "Barbatos crosses the line! We're the champions!!!"
Beside her, the commentator gently rubbed his forehead, looking somewhat embarrassed, and interjected, "They crossed almost simultaneously. The photo finish will determine the winner."
In the stands, Maruzensky's face showed astonishment.
"No way."
"That final move… it was similar to T.M. Opera O's…"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.